By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Getting first places in nine of 12 events, along with having much greater depth for seconds, thirds, fourths and fifths in races, the traditional state power, Kennedy Catholic boys swim team easily handed the Tyee/Evergreen/Highline co-op team a loss in a swimming meet at the Evergreen Pool Thursday.
The Lancers, top 10 in the state in boys swimming at state last season, look to grab that kind of spot for a finish this time around, too, or, higher, like the year before at state, when the fourth place honor was mustered, or top five the year before that.

"Top 10 looks good for us and we might be able to fight our way to fifth or sixth," said Sean Prothero, Lancers coach, who attended Kentwood High School, 1999-2003, and still helps hold the 400 yard freestyle relay pool record at that 4A school. And, he is helped by his little sister, Marley, who won the state title in the 200 IM (individual medley) when she was at Kentwood a decade ago.

"We have a chance to make our mark, again," said Prothero.

Making a "mark" refers to getting on the podium for an award presentation, which the top six highest scoring teams in the state get to do.

But, the Totems/Wolverines/Pirates boys swim team had some positive swims, some first places, even, and, they have a first-year coach, Megan Reynolds. And, she's excited about her role in helping her team go about swimming this season.

"We have a lot of swimmers who have never set foot in the pool," said Reynolds, who teaches at Tyee High School. "My expectation is that I will be able to help them become a better competitive or recreational swimmer."

The Lancers' top, competitive swimmer is Tommy Thach (pronounced "tike"), a senior who took first in only one event at this particular meet but who did place second in the state in both the 200 IM and 50 freestyle last season. So, put the emphasis on the latter, instead, of the former, when stating Thach's resume`.
"I swam a 1:50 in the 200 IM at state and I swam 50 seconds in the butterfly," said Thach, a captain on the Lancers who won the 50 free in this meet in 22.45.

So, hearing that the Wolverines/Totems/Pirates swimmer, Tyler Goodspeed, swam a 2:12.69 for first place in the 200 IM in this particular meet is needing more information. And, although a good win and not a bad time for Goodspeed, the win only gets put in proper perspective when Thach's under two minute, state time, in the 200 IM is compared, being 22 seconds faster than Goodspeed's in this meet. But Goodspeed, who attends Highline, is a freshman, so he will only improve this season, and the next, and the next, and the next.

A side note on Goodspeed, he helped his Normandy Park swim team take first place in the 400 freestyle relay at the All-City meet last August, and it broke a 30-year record in the event. But that was, for Goodspeed, as a 13-14 age group swimmer. Goodspeed is among older high school swimmers now, going up against the likes of Thach, with a lot more experience.

And Thach is no tike at all in swimming, for certain, as he is not only honing in on state championship goals in high school swims in February, he is heading to a big-time school after this season.

And Thach is heading where he's going on a full-ride scholarship, in swimming, to a D-1 university this upcoming Fall.

"Really proud of him," said Prothero. "He's committed to go to TCU. The national letter of intent signing day is Feb. 4th at Dillman Center, 11:30 to noon, when he officially will become a Horned Frog."

That's the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs, for those not familiar with the letters, "TCU."

And back to the Wolverines/Totems/Pirates swimmer with potential, Goodspeed. He is having fun, learning things in this infancy time of his high school swimming.

"I go to practice to get better," said Goodspeed, who not only won the 200 IM on this day, but the 100 fly as well, and that's Thach's other event. So Goodspeed, still a frosh, has things to learn and practice a lot more before his winning time of 57.60 competes with Thach's best time this season, 49.3. "I swim all the time, trying to get ready for state, improving my all around technique."

So that's a look at Goodspeed, and some others with good speed on the Wolverines/Totems/Pirates team would include junior Nate Williams, from Aviation West preparatory school, an extension of Highline High School. Williams swam to eighth place, as a freshman, in the 500 freestyle at state. But he did not swim at state as a sophomore because of sickness and again last year as a junior he missed a lot of the season because he was in a hospital with intravenous tubes in him.

"I was very sick, exhausted from club swimming and school was tough, being my junior year, that's a tough year, I had a lot of AP classes," said Williams.
Sick with what?
"They never did find out what it was," said Williams. "I just had a terrible headache, mostly."

So, no infection, and therefore no need for antibiotics?

"No, I was in a hospital with an IV. They were feeding me nutrients and painkillers," said Williams, who took first place on this particular day in the 20-lap 500 freestyle, swimming in a time of 5:33.60 in this the first meet of the season. Williams, back when a freshman in high school, at state, swam a 4:52 time. So he's just getting into the swing of things now in high school swimming.

"I just got far enough ahead in this meet today, to win," said Williams. "It's the middle of the Whitewater season, or I would have went faster."

That's Whitewater Aquatics Williams speaks of, whose year-round, club team swims at the Evergreen Pool.
Williams was happy with the fact that he did swim at state last season, even though the whole circumstances of the event were not ideal, not even close.

"Yeah, I was in the hospital with IVs, but then I swam at state the next day and I didn't get last," said Williams, who will attend Whitworth in the Fall, which is a D-3 school in Spokane, but they do have a strong swimming program. And, Williams will swim with friends from Whitewater, and King Aquatics, as he's been on both club teams in the past two years.

Prothero, in coaching the Lancers, likes a lot of swimmers on the team like freshman Jack Fenster and sophomore Anthony Tran.

"Jack is a talented freshman," said Prothero. "He'll do sprints and short freestyle races. And Anthony swims every day. He will make an impact. The breaststroke is his best event."

Tran took first in this meet in the 200 free in 2:00.72 as well as helping on the winning 200 free relay team of himself and sophomore Ian Olufson and Fenster and Thach in 1:34.56.

And, also, another sophonmore, Jeff Kasahara, is someone Prothero mentions, as Kasahara took 15th in the 100 breaststroke at state last season as a freshman. And Kasahara was also a participant on all three Lancers relays at state last season.

"A lot of new people this year," said Kasahara, who has long-time swam for White Center area summer swim club team, Arbor Heights, too. Kasahara, in this meet, took first in the 100 breast, too, in 1:03.85.
The captains on the Lancers team, hoping to lead them to a top three finish, as, at least a couple agreed outright that's a good team goal, had no problem mentioning Prothero's coaching ability on the team.
"He's awesome," said Luke Blair, one of four senior captains on the team, with the others, Kyle Pierce, Alex McKenzie and Thach. "I love coming to practice because of Sean."

"Sean keeps us in shape," said Thach.

And the team, how is it going to improve?

"We have a good freshman, and some guys matured, got stronger and will contribute," said Thach.
And Prothero was quick to mention his sister, Marley, who helps him out with things, a lot.

"Such a blessing," said Prothero. "She was a (Olympic) trial swimmer and swam at UNLV and I am lucky enough that she came back here to coach and help me and didn't stay with them down there. Marley is great with technique, and has a great rapport with the kids."

And, Reynolds, too, wanted to mention those who have helped her get along to a satisfactory understanding of high school swim coaching in her first season as a head coach.

"I love my supporting coaches, like Bryce Jensen, and Sean has helped, too," said Reynolds. "And, Renee Williams, Nathan's mom, she helped run the meet. I really appreciate them. They made this meet happen."
And, Reynolds did, too. She was running around, anyway, doing things. It was easy to tell, clipboard in hand.

"We all worked together," said Reynolds. "Teamwork. Teamwork on every level."

And, one last shout out to her team, for their work, would Reynolds relate.

"I love these guys, every one of them deserves a chance, and, I love to support them with that opportunity," said Reynolds. "I just really enjoy all their energy that they bring to the team every day. Can't say enough about these guys."

In the races, the first places not yet mentioned include the Lancers win in the 200 medley, with Dylan Jergens, a senior, along with Kasahara, Thach, Pierce, swimming a 1:48.59.

And, the Lancers' Ian Olufson won the 100 free in 53.67, and Alex Hoppe of the Wolverines/Totems/Pirates team won the 100 backstroke in 1:06.51. And, in the 400 free relay, the Lancers team of Fenster, Olufson, Tran and Thach, hit the wall first in 3.49.30.